Steve started work in the coal industry at Nattai Bulli Colliery in the Burragorang Valley in 1981 as a shiftman. He then spent time at Kemira and Wongawilli Collieries before working for six years at Appin Colliery.

 

It was then 12 years at Ulan Colliery before joining Beltana at the start of 2004.

 

He has worked as a miner, deputy, shift undermanager, UMIC, ventilation officer, and longwall coordinator.

 

Steve likes to ride his motorcycle when he can find the time, “which isn’t often enough!”

 

ILN:What is your earliest mining memory?

 

SB: Rattling into Nattai Bulli Colliery on a rickety railset being towed by a little old locomotive.

 

ILN: What made you choose mining as a career?

 

SB: Greed.

 

ILN: What was your favourite job in a coal mine?

 

SB: The one I’ve got now!

 

ILN: What was your least favourite job?

 

SB: Bolting on the left-hand side at Kemira Colliery using a Falcon.

 

ILN: Who, or what, has most influenced your mining career?

 

SB: Several of my better bosses by trying to use their example in my own work and a few poorer ones by demonstrating how not to do it.

 

ILN: What do you consider your best mining achievement?

 

SB: Being part of a team at a number of different pits that have achieved excellent results in all areas.

 

ILN: What do you see as being the greatest mining development during your career?

 

SB: Improvements in equipment reliability and automation of processes.

 

ILN: Do you hold any mining records?

 

SB: Possibly the worst weight/height ratio in the industry

 

ILN: Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?

 

SB: Plenty, mostly involving nothing to do with coal mining.

 

ILN: What was your most embarrassing moment in a coal mine?

 

SB: No comment.

 

ILN: What was your scariest time in a coal mine?

 

SB: 1200 metres underground in Germany crawling across a plough face that was 400m wide and felt 4000m wide.

 

ILN: What is your worst memory of coal mining?

 

SB: Being secured to the breaker props with eleco’s tape as some sort of initiation rite.

 

ILN: Do you think that the day of the fully automated remotely operated face is near?

 

SB: It happens now, but NOT at any of the truly productive operations. I believe that it will occur within the next ten to fifteen years.

 

ILN: What major improvements would you like to see on longwall operations?

 

SB: Belt structure removal remains the same pain-in-the-arse labour intensive job that costs us coal every shift. The only difference today is the structure is heavier.